Igniter foe stoves



April 22, 1941.

L. R. UNSER IGNITER FOR s'rovns Filed Jan. 2, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTOR .L.R.Unser BY ATTORNEYS pia 1- L. R- UNSIER. 2,239,175

IGNI'I'EK FOR S'I'QVES Filed Jan. 2, 1940 Z Sheets-$heet 2 zg'xr-xzgi 6l M INVENTOR L .R. Una er ATTORNEYS Patented A r. '22, 1941 2,239,175 7return]: For; s'rovns Lawrence It. Unser, Sprlngville, Calif.Application January 2,1940, Serial No. 312,083 (01. 115-115) 2 Claims.

This invention relates in general to room type oil burning heaters suchas are used for domestic heating andvthe like; the invention beingdirected in particular to an improved ignitingassembly for heaters ofsuch type.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide animprovedigniting assembly for an oil burning heater: such igniting assemblybeing electrically actuated, and including a push-button switch mountedin convenient location on the exteriorshell of the heater.

Another object .of the invention is to provide an improvedelectricallyactuated oil igniting unit adaptedto' -be mounted in the.'open fire pot or a lead wires 8 and a disposed within the shell l andconnected to an outlet A into which an extensioncorcl C may be plugged.The wire 8 has a push-button switch HI connected in series therein andnormally maintaining the circuit open, while the wire 9 has a suitablefuse block H in series therein. The push-button switch it is mounted onthe front of housing l at a con:

' venient and accessible point whereby a person de- A further object ofthe invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet onewhich will be exceedingly effective for the purpose "for which it isdesigned.

- These objects I accomplish'by means of such;

structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by aperusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate correspondingparts in the several views: Figure 1 is a front elevation of an oilburning heater embodying the present invention; the

front of the heater and the burner being each partially broken away toillustrate the position of the oil igniting unit in the burner.

Figure 2 is an enlarged plan view of the oil igniting unit as mounted inthe burner.

Figure 3 is an enlarged inner end view of the oil igniting unit asmounted in place in the burner.

Referring 'now more particularly to the char acters of reference on thedrawings, and particularly at present to Fig. 1, the, numeral 8indicates the exterior housing or shell of an oil burning heater; suchshell including air intake louvers 2, air outlet louvers 3 and awindowed door 4 in the front thereof which permits 0! access to theinterior of the heater. As is usual, the heater includes an open topfire pot or burner 5, and a valved oil feed line (not shown) leads toand is arranged to discharge into said fire pot or bm'ner in thecustomary manner.

The present invention contemplates the use of an electric oil ignitingunit indicated generally r at 6 mounted within the burner 5 adjacent the.bottom thereof and adapted to ignite oil I in the siring to ignite theheater need only turn on the oil supply for the burner and then holdpush buttonswitch llldepressed for a few moments, which causes theigniting unit 8 to create sufllclent heat in the manner as willhereinafter appear, to promptly ignitethe oil supply about and adjacentsaid unit.

The oil igniting unit indicated generally at 6 in Fig. 1 is shown indetail in Figs. 2 and 3, and comprises a tubular metallic fitting l2extending horizontally through the walls of the burner 5 a shortdistance above the bottom B of said burner; said fitting being held inplace by clamping nuts l3 threaded on the ends thereof and engaging theadjacent portions of the burner.

The fitting i2 is formed with a dielectric and fireproof core ll,preferably of porcelain or the like. Metallic lead strips l5 extendthrough the porcelain core H in spacedrelation and extend at ,both endsbeyond the fitting 82. At their outer ends, the lead strips iii areprovided with out-turned ears it having terminal screws 9! threadedthereinto. The wires 8 and 9 are adapted to be connected with the leadstrips by means of said terminal screws ll. At their inner ends, thelead strips l5 project a substantial distance from the fitting if inopposite directions, and at their ends are formed with down-turned ordepending legs 08.

The oil igniting mechanism is connected to and carried by said legs l8,and comprises a fiat, elongated, and rectangular base IQ of sheet mice.or the like; said base having an elongated and longitudinally extendingopening 20 therein.

A length of resistance wire 2|, preferably of the fiat or strip type, iswound about the base 09 from end to end thereof, each turn of the wirebeing spaced from the adjacent turns, as-shown. The ends of wire 2| areconnected with the lower ends of legs. ill in any suitable manner, andso that the base It! and wire 2| are supported thererom.

The fitting I2 is mounted above the bottom B of burner 5 at such a levelthat base I9 is disposed relatively close to said bottom, a plurality ofabsorbent, fireproof pads 22, preferably of as:

The oil igniting unit functions in the following manner: When thecircuit is closed, and current flows through resistance wire 2|, suchwire becomes red-hot. As the base, or at least the pads 22 are submergedin the oil in the bottom of the burner, such oil is quicklyignited whenthe wire 2i begins to glow. The pads 22 support the base I! a sufilcientdistance above the bottom B of the burner to permit of ready combustionof the oil, and without choking out of the resulting fire, as mightpossibly occur if the base rested directly on the burner bottom. Also,the opening 20 permits of circulation of the gases of combustion, etc.,from beneath the base, and thus further facilitates ignition.

As the oil igniting unit is disposed in the burner relatively close tothe bottom thereof, such unit will not tend to burn out, for the reasonthat upon and after initial ignition of the oil, the burner becomesextremely hot, vaporizing all the oil therein and causing the flame torise and burn high, so that the igniting unit is below the flame zone.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I haveproduced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of theinvention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferredconstruction of the device, still in practice such deviations from suchdetail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit ofthe invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An oil igniting unit for heaters, said unit 5 including a fittingadapted to extend into the burner of the heater, a pair of leadsextending through the fitting in insulated relation, a dielectric,fireproof base, said base being fiat and elongated, an exposed wireforming a resistance coil wound about said base from end to end thereof,

the adjacent ends of the leads being connected with the ends of theresistance coil, the base and coil being disposed substantiallyhorizontal in the burner adjacent but spaced above the bottom l5thereof, and a plurality of absorbent, fireproof pads disposed in sideby side but spaced relation between the bottom of the burner and saidcoll; the p ds being engaged by the latter, and said opening bridgingthe space on opposite sides of at least one of said pads.

2. In an oil igniting unit for a heater having-a burner, said unitincluding an ignition assembly comprising a sheet-like base, said basehaving an opening therethrough, a resistance coil wound about the base,the loops of the coil being spaced the bottom of the burner, and anabsorbent fibrous pad engaged between said base andv the bottom of theburner, said pad crossing the opening and the latter being partiallyunobstructed by said pad.

LAWRENCE R. UNSER.

